Christmas at Castle Howard 2024 – Castle Howard’s theme this year is Alice’s Christmas Wonderland and will run from November 15th to January 5th, 2025.
Alice is planning a big Christmas party and follows the White Rabbit through the great halls and luxurious rooms of Castle Howard, taking twists and turns to reveal fanciful festive surprises.
Immerse yourself in a psychedelic world that will make you smile like the Cheshire Cat and don't be late for this very important day.
We visited for a press day and I have to say it's been a really good year (not that there's been a bad year!). There's a lot going on at Castle Howard this year, so I'd like to tell you all about it, but first – the best part – the house itself.
All rooms are exquisitely decorated with an Alice in Wonderland theme. As always, it starts on the grand staircase and slowly winds its way through the bedrooms. There is a lot to see, so you need to take your time.
The amount of time spent on this task is unimaginable and I always come home determined to finish my Christmas decorations (and fail miserably!).
There is a White Rabbit Path where a White Rabbit appears in every room to stop the children from rushing through. If your child wishes to participate, a booklet will be placed at the admission desk for them to fill out to answer the questions in each room. At the end of the trail, kids can draw themselves as the Alice character and enter a contest to win a Castle Howard Gold Membership.
Another thing to keep an eye out for on your walk are these “touch me” boxes. Honestly, this is great for little kids and even adults. You can pick up and see the items used to decorate each room. I think this is a really well thought out idea and perfect for sensory play.
There are some memorable moments during my travels. First for me is always the Christmas tree in the saloon. You turn a corner and boom, it towers over you. The tree has a whopping 3,000 ornaments and takes six days to decorate.
The next standout moment (or at least my favorite) is the room with the table. This year, of course, is all set for the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Look how decadent this is!
There are some very sophisticated light and sound installations throughout the tour. This year's exhibition at the Long Gallery is especially wonderful!
As well as the Alice Tour, you can also visit Father Christmas, enjoy afternoon tea and share a board. We tried a few of these and they were great.
Castle Howard seems to be upping their game with their food offerings overall. The marquee (which has become even bigger this year) features a variety of food stalls, including “build-your-own crumbles” where you can choose your fillings and toppings. Apple and cinnamon topped with traditional crumble, custard, and biscoff. It was amazing (and very filling)!
We will introduce the menu here, so please check the contents and prices.
Finally, Bettys Tea Rooms will be holding a pop-up shop in the courtyard for the first time. You can pick up Fat Rascal or Fondant Fancy on the way home. After winning the lottery, I decided to spend the weekend doing something nice.
Read last year's review with lots of great photos below.
Grand staircase decorated for Christmas at the start of the tour.
The tour begins in the bedrooms of our beloved children. Look carefully at the windows of this dollhouse and see if you can spot Tinkerbell. There are plenty of spots to see her, and kids can even follow Tinkerbell's path around the house. (Keep them occupied while you look at the rest of the gorgeous decor!).
Parallel to Neverland's Christmas theme is an “Edwardian Christmas” theme running, complete with traditional decorations like these paper chains. Castle Howard strives to reuse previous decorations in a variety of ways to make them more sustainable, and the new decorations purchased this year include a selection of materials such as paper, fabric and glass. , are intentionally purchased with the future in mind.
I always come home with grand plans for my own decorations. Look at this lovely pastel colored Christmas tree!
This has always been my favorite room, where the table is set for magical banquets.
There are so many amazing rooms!
Lights, sounds and clever special effects are used to further enrich the journey through the house, like this magical mermaid pool (my favorite is the jellyfish seen here). The pictures don't do it justice!
As usual, the big tree is the star. It was carved from the grounds of Castle Howard and decorated with a tropical theme. It's bright and colorful and really great, but I have to say I prefer the more traditional look (don't shoot me!!).
There are too many rooms to list here. As always, it's a feast for the senses!
I was also able to take a photo of the land train passing through the grounds.
If you want to push the boat out at the end of your tour, you can also enjoy a celebratory 'Darling Afternoon Tea' (who doesn't love afternoon tea?!) Castle Howard is a lovely place to visit. A perfect way to celebrate Christmas.
When you're in this room, look up into the gallery and you'll see Rapunzel's tower with her hair flowing down.
Another favorite of mine is the amazing table set for a sumptuous feast.
Look at those baubles! If you'd like to recreate this at home, don't miss out on the Christmas shops that will be set up while you're out and about (it'll be fun now!).
Near the end of the experience, Cinderella's carriage comes into view. And like all good pantos, there's a wedding at the end.
There is amazing sound and light throughout the whole experience and don't forget to look up at the ceiling which is truly magical.
Finally, if you want to get serious about rowing, why not enjoy a celebratory afternoon tea?
castle howard at christmas
